LilyLace

Ok well our annual trip to Vegas is on hold due to medical reasons. So we've decided at the last moment to book a flight to Athens. We'll stay only 5 days - anyone have suggestions as to what we could/should do with 5 days?

We are very laid back just looking to get away but of course want to see sights - not afraid to drive a little, just not all day in a car sorta people. Never been to Greece but have travelled extensively all over the world so ... able to take public transportation and self guide (prefer) but have absolutely NO idea what not to miss in Greece!

Thanking you all in advance for suggestions - booking tickets for Feb 20th.

Lily

TexasAggie

I'd spend a couple days in Athens and see:

The Parthenon and the new Acropolis Museum

The National Museum of Archaeology

The ancient Greek agora (marketplace) and the ancient Roman (agora)* - I'd skip the Roman agora if running very short on time.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Benaki Museum


Then I'd rent a car and drive to ancient Corinth (about 90 minutes from Athens tops). See ancient Corinth and the museum, then drive up to Acrocorinth - the fortress atop the hill. The views are amazing and the fortifications are interesting.

Keep driving and stop in ancient Mycenae to see the Mycenaen-era ruins and tholos tombs on your to Nauplion (also called Nafplio). Stay a couple nights in Nafplio. From there, you can easily drive to see the ancient theater at Epidauros, the ancient theater at Argos, the Mycenaen-era ruins of ancient Tyrins, and many other sites. OR, you can relax in a beautiful seaside town and enjoy exploring/shopping/dining in the old town. You can walk up the hill and see the Venetian fortress and take in the view of the sea. You can drive about 10 minutes and find yourself on a lovely beach - Tolos, I believe is the name of the beach/town?

TexasAggie

P.S. I did leave out Delphi which is a highlight. But with only 5 days in Greece... I'd personally stick with Athens and the small area of the Pelop. peninsula that I described so that you're not spending large portions of your 5 days in the car.

vayio

Well, I would do the following: Stay 3 whole days in Athens, visit Acropolis, Temple of Zeus, Panathinaikon stadium (where 1st Olympics at 1896 took place). If you have so little time don't stuck only in museums. Enjoy greek life in Plaka, Monastiraki (Roman agora lies somewhere there), Thission, eat delicious greek speciallities, spend time in nice cafes with Acropolis view. You can also go to Pireus (Athens' port) and visit Castella, Pasalimani and Microlimano (small traditional ports with full of fish restaurants by the sea). Then you could rent a car and make 2 day trips: One to Corinthos, Nafplio and Epidauros and an other trip to Delploi via Nafpactos and Galaxidi (nice small towns).

LilyLace

Thank you both for the suggestions.

One question, and please pardon my ignorance here. I cannot find Nafplio on my map. I have a very good map of Greece (Michelin) so I'm sure it's there. Can you tell me from Athens is it N S E or W? I think it might be on the small portion SW from Athens (you called the pennisula maybe?).

Thanks!

Maria_H

This show where it is:

http://www.greeka.com/peloponnese/na...fplion-map.htm

Heimdall

SW of Athens on the Peloponnese coast. More or less directly south of Corinth. There are several variations of spelling in the Roman alphabet, so it may not read 'Nafplio' on your map.

Carolina

Tolo is the name of the beach resort near Nafplio (7km).
I agree with the poster who suggested sticking to Athens and that part of the Peloponnese. If you have time, you may want to visit one of the islands for a day. Poros can easily be visited from Pireas or the Peloponnese. Aegina is very easily visited from Athens. There is also a day cruise available from Athens where you visit 3 islands: Aegina, Poros and Hydra. It is more expensive than visiting 1 island on your own and is a long day but you would see a lot and get a good taste of the Saronic Islands (the group nearest Athens).
Much as I love Delphi, I think that it is just too much to add to a short trip.

LilyLace

Exactly the advice I needed - Thanks so much to all who responded!

Ready to book now!

Nikki

I spent a little over a week in Greece in March a couple years ago, with several days in Athens. You might be interested in my trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34589254

Photos:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-b9k6sz

LilyLace

Thank you Nikki! Your report is delightful - makes me more anxious to get there! The photos are really good quality - I assume the young woman in many is your daughter! How nice to have an experience to share. My own daughter has travelled the world with me and I know how much funit is!

Nikki

Thanks, LilyLace, that is indeed my daughter. While she was in college, we went to Europe together every March during her spring break. I miss those trips now that she's in grad school.

southeastern

I would want to do a day trip to an island. You can take bus #40 in Athens down to Pireas and do an island as someone suggested. In my opinion, no trip to Greece is complete without seeing at least one island. We love Hydra because there are no cars allowed.

Sandarini

Hello--

I second Southeasterns recommendation. After Athens, I would try and visit Hydra. But you know, really if I only had 5 days in Greece, I would probably stay in the Athens vacinity and visit the local countryside, there is really so much to see outside of Athens, like Sounion.

Happy Travels, Sandy in Oregon

cathies

I agree with vayio that you don't want to be stuck in museums too much of the time, BUT I absolute recommend going to the National Archaeological Museum and visit the sculpture section - I thought that it was breathtaking! I think that TexasAggie's suggestions are great - her driving tour sounds like the trip we took and will be very manageable. In Athens do go and see the Panathinaikon stadium. Lots of these things in Athens are close together and walkable, ie the stadium and the Ancient Temple of Zeus are only a few minutes walk from each other. We went to Greece in May 2006 as part of a 6 week trip and we went to Greece because my husband teaches Ancient History and was desperate to go.I was very "ho hum" about Greece BUT I absolutely loved it, from the first moment in Athens that I looked upwards and spotted The Parthenon sitting so majestically. I would go back in a heartbeat! Hope you have a great trip!

southofrome

Thanks for all this great information. We are just now booking a last minute trip leaving Feb 21 for 5 days in Greece. (We are in Naples so it isn't that far to go!) This will be our first visit and I'm excited to see Athens and environs. Perhpas we'll run into you LilyLace!

Thanks again. I love Fodors talk secion

yiassas

Hi,
I live in Greece, on the Peloponnese, & agree with the advice of mainly Athens, with a side trip to Nafplio, Mycenae, Epidavros etc (as much as you can fit in). Although it's been mentioned that you don't want to spend all your time in museums, I would definitely keep NAM & Benaki on the list of things to do. Two reasons, they are both excellent & also they are the ideal choice for a rainy day. We are talking February!
Just make sure you have a good location when you stay in Athens, everything is so easy to get to then, the majority of places walkable in 30 mins or less.
With hotels, look for the areas of Syntagma, Plaka, Monastiraki, Makrigianni & Koukaki.
What price range are you looking at? I'm happy to make suggestions of hotels in ideal locations.